The Sun Newspaper

MARCUS Rashford’s mother has revealed she skipped meals to make sure the England striker and his brothers got by.
Melanie Maynard would go without but pretend she’d eaten if her three boys asked.

Marcus Rashford with his mum Melanie holding up his Man Of The Match gong

She tells a BBC1 documentary: “As long as they got something to eat that was more what I was worried about. Sometimes we didn’t even have a loaf of bread in the house. But I wouldn’t tell somebody I was struggling either. It was embarrassing.”
Man Utd hero Marcus, 23, forced a Government U-turn on free school meal vouchers and has since been made an MBE.
When he was a kid his mum worked three jobs — at bookie Ladbrokes, as a cleaner after hours, and washing pots. Mel said: “I was working for Ladbrokes and worked there for 21 years. The cleaning job at Ladbrokes, I took that as well. I’d do my shift and go back and do the cleaning. Then I used to do pot washing on a Saturday as well.
“I used to say to the kids sometimes that I’d already eaten because they used to say to me: ‘Have you had yours?’ and I’d say: ‘Yeah’ but I didn’t have anything to eat.”

Melanie went hungry so that Marcus and his siblings could eat while growing upCredit: Refer to Caption

Marcus, now 23, has been campaigning to feed Britain’s poorest kids

She added: “I was just doing my best to survive. Now Marcus has provided me a home and I sit in my room sometimes and just cry. You’re thinking about where you’ve come from to where you are now.”
Marcus tells the show, which airs on Monday at 7pm: “Nevermind an MBE or being a football player, it just wouldn’t have been likely if I didn’t have somebody like her behind me.
“A lot of the work is Mum’s. She brought me up with these morals and expectations.”

Marcus and his mother Melanie visit FareShare Greater Manchester Credit: AP:Associated Press

The Man Utd hero forced a Government U-turn on free school meal vouchers Credit: PA:Press Association

The Sun Says

IS it any wonder Marcus Rashford’s heart is in the right place?
His ­single mum Melanie worked long, gruelling minimum wage shifts to support him and his brothers — and even skipped meals to ensure they got fed.
Marcus’s MBE at just 23 recognises not his football talents so much as the ­values Melanie imbued in him.
Most of us make sacrifices for our kids.
But her selflessness is still an example to every parent in the land.

Man Utd star Marcus Rashford takes on child food poverty in new BBC documentary Feeding Britain’s Children
GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

INTIMATE photos of Man City star Gabriel Jesus and former Chelsea striker Diego Costa were found in a Bible handed in at a charity shop.
Both players appeared topless with the same mystery woman in pictures unearthed last week.

An intimate photo of former Chelsea striker Diego Costa was found in a Bible handed in at a charity shop

Another snap showed Man City ace Gabriel Jesus shirtless with the same woman

The Bible was in one of two bags handed in by a woman to a charity shop in Marylebone, Central London.
A source explained: “The pictures were instantly recognisable as Jesus and Costa – and both were with the same woman.
“They were both laughing and seemed incredibly relaxed in her company while larking around on pillows without their shirts on.
“The pictures appear to have been taken at different times.

“The charity shop normally gets jigsaws and second-hand clothes, so this was certainly a change from that.”
Two bags were handed in during May, but the snaps were not spotted until staff started sorting them last week.

One snap showed a heavily tattooed Jesus pulling a face for the camera

The Bible was in one of two bags handed in by a woman to a charity shop in Marylebone, Central LondonCredit: © David Dyson – The Sun
The source said: “A woman of Spanish or Latin appearance dropped off the bags.
“She said a friend left the UK and wanted to get rid of a few bits and pieces.

“The woman who brought the bags in has never been back so no one knew what to do with the pics.”
It is not known when the photographs were taken.
Heavily tattooed Brazilian forward Jesus, 23, joined Man City in 2017 and split from model Fernanda Queiroz earlier this year.
The devout Christian was missing from City’s squad against Southampton yesterday.
A source previously said: “Jesus decided to end the relationship to focus on his career.”

Costa played for Chelsea for three years from 2014 and is now at Atletico MadridCredit: Reuters

Brazilian forward Jesus joined Man City in 2017Credit: Getty Images – Getty

Brazilian-born Costa, 32, played for Chelsea for three years from 2014 and is now at Atletico Madrid.
He is married with two daughters and there is no suggestion he cheated on his wife.
In 2014, The Sun on Sunday revealed he was dumped by Brazilian model girlfriend Michele Zuanne after she caught him trying to bed her sister.

Jesus split from model Fernanda Queiroz earlier this yearCredit: Instagram @dejesusoficial

Cheeky Diego Costa trick young mascot in hilarious pre-Atletico Madrid friendly video
GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

FRANK LAMPARD says Chelsea deserve praise for putting Declan Rice on the road to stardom.
The England midfielder, 21, skippers West Ham tomorrow against the club that showed him the door when he was just 14.

Frank Lampard believes Chelsea deserve credit for Declan Rice’s progressCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Rice will skipper West Ham against the side that released him as a 14 year oldCredit: Rex Features

And all eyes will be on a player with an £80million price tag, who has been strongly linked with a  Stamford Bridge return for more than a year.
Blues boss Lampard — who left the Hammers for West London when he was 23 — reckons Rice only got where he is now because of seven years grounding at Chelsea.
He said: “Declan is now playing at such a high level at West Ham, and sometimes when players go on their other paths, the club should also take some credit for producing them. 
“You see all over the Premier League and the Championship there are lots of players who came through the Chelsea system so that’s a real positive for us.”

Chelsea will kick off just a point ahead of their London rivals following successive losses at Everton and Wolves.
But Lamps is more inclined to pat his players on the back than boot them up the backside because  everyone has been dropping points.
He said: “We got punished because we dropped our levels by 15 or 20 per cent and in this league that happens. 
“It’s clear the confidence has to remain because we were playing very well and the table is very tight at the top. We are much closer than we were to the top last year, so we just need to remind ourselves of all the great things we were doing before the losses.”

Lampard added:  “The realism now is that we are not a Liverpool of last year, or a Man City of the year before who just go win, win, win — we are in a progression and have to be ready for some tough moments.
“That’s why I kept talking about us two or three weeks ago when everyone was talking about  how we should win the league.
“My reasoning for putting a dampener on that was there are other teams that have been together longer, which brings a confidence among a group  where they can deal with things better in games. 
“It is part of where our progression is at, we have some younger players and as time goes on they will get stronger in those moments. That’s why you have to take lessons when you lose.”

Chelsea vs West Ham – Watch LIVE, channel info and kick-off time More